Substitute Sontje Hansen scored a stoppage-time equaliser just three minutes after coming on to earn Middlesbrough a dramatic 2-2 draw at Preston in the Sky Bet Championship.
The 23-year-old came off the bench a minute after Jordan Storey looked to have won it for Preston and provided the telling touch from close range after the hosts failed to clear their lines from a corner.
Lewis Dobbin put Paul Heckingbottom’s men ahead with a sublime solo effort early on before the visitors got a deserved 72nd-minute leveller through Matt Targett.
Storey put North End back in front with an 88th-minute glancing header before the final twist in the tale.
Sontje Hansen scores late equaliser as Middlesbrough escape with late point at Preston!
Preston’s Alfie Devine had the first attempt on goal with a free-kick from 25 yards that flew narrowly over the crossbar.
It was a warning shot from the home side, who took a 22nd-minute lead in spectacular fashion as Dobbin skipped past Luke Ayling after a strong run before crashing his second goal of the season into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Ayling nearly had an instant reprieve a minute later as Daniel Iversen made a mess of dealing with a corner, but the former Leeds man volleyed over the bar from close range.
Boro nearly pulled level on the stroke of half-time as Hayden Hackney took aim from just outside the box, but his shot flew narrowly wide.
Half-time substitute David Strelec saw his close-range strike deflected agonisingly wide just minutes after coming on Rob Edwards’ men looked for a way back into the match.
Moments later Morgan Whittaker drifted into the box but saw his strike brilliantly blocked by Storey, with Callum Brittain denied by the offside flag having found the net on the rebound.
At the other end, Dobbin dragged a shot wide on the turn as the hour mark approached after good work from Ali McCann in the midfield.
A sell-out away following sarcastically cheered, perhaps harshly, as Whittaker made way for Sverre Halseth Nypan in the 66th minute, but they had plenty to shout about six minutes later.
Ayling fizzed a low ball across the six-yard box after a marauding run and, although Storey brilliantly blocked Tommy Conway’s point-blank effort, Targett arrived at the back post to confidently strike the loose ball into the far corner.
Preston then thought they had stolen the points at the death as Ben Whiteman’s cross was glanced expertly into the corner by Storey, sending the home faithful crazy.
But there was more drama to come two minutes into added time as Hansen got the final touch in the six-yard box amid a goalmouth scramble to rescue a point for Boro.
The managers
Preston’s Paul Heckingbottom:
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Middlesbrough’s Rob Edwards:
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